Upon the awakening at 5 am and a great ascent only an hour away, the dark sky, the bright beautiful stars, the stage was set for a spectacular great day of hiking Wind River Peak. An early mistake on my behalf of the correct direction to hike up, soon Derek led the way and up the Rocky mountain terrain we went. It was a true definite test of moral, group dynamics, and proper decision-making in ascending this 13,000 foot plus peak. Through many twists and turns and stops up along the way all of us soon saw the top of Wind River Peak, yet there was just a few hundred feet to go. All of us took part in lessons along the way from Jeff including the rocky mountain rest step, and how to step up and over moats in the mountain hillside slope. Amidst the sore feet we finally made it to the top of Wind River Peak. The instantaneous bird’s eye view set the stage for a collaboration of jaw dropping beauty and respect for such an amazing wonder of the Wind River Range. After reading what other’s had written upon ascending this 13eener over the years and how we added to this momento set the stage for an outdoor education lesson atop of this windy high peak. A few hours later we were back within the Deep Creek Lakes area and after discussing whether or not to keep on hiking after a day of ascending and coming down the peak we all took a consensus to rest our bodies and recover for the day. The day was a huge success and set the upcoming stage for the next day of even more challenging experiences.

Ryan Schaible